On Printing A Specimen Book

ON PRINTING A
SPECIMEN
BOOK

dane W. Roberts
1980

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ON PRINTING A
SPECIMEN
bOOK

dane W. Roberts
1980

All rights reserved

Printed by
OLD-TIME PRINTING
J.W. ROBERTS, PROP.
FITZWILLIAM, N.H. 03447

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introduction

A rewarding printing project isa book il-
lustrating one’s own collection of type, cuts,
ornaments and borders or portions thereof.

Besides being a concise answer to ‘‘what
do you mean, you print?" it compels one to
get better acquainted with the collection,
to organize and use it better.

Having printed four specimen books over
the last dozen years, the following pearls
are offered the neophyte.

Copy

Before considering anything, determine
copy, which will more or less decide size
and length. For a first effort it is better to
limit the book to one facet of the collection
if it is a large one. Even 4o fonts will make
a good-sized book, without including cases
of borders, ornaments and cuts. How fonts
are shown, names of faces or idiot lines, is
the printer’s option.

Determine what peripheral material will
be included. Besides the usual fly leaves
and title, do you plan to index, include in-

formation about your shop, use photos or.

add a colophon?

Format

Several practical (as opposed to zsthet-
ic) considerations may influence choice of
format. Perhaps you are lucky and get lots
of handy offcuts from a big printer. Maybe
you have a paper cutter.

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If you have a choice, pick a format that
is higher than wide, to facilitate printing
and binding, and ease of handling as a book.
Keep in mind the binding, as this will de-
termine margins, and whether the book is
to be trimmed

A page size of 6xg is about as large as is
practical for the average press used by the
home printer. A page width of 34% inches
will take a set width of 15 picas, which is
about as narrow as is feasible, unless faces
to be shown are small. A page width of 456
inches allows a set width of 20 picas with
generous margins.

A small format will permit printing two
or four pages up.

Stock

Stock which is opaque, fairly hard and
smooth and not over 60 lb. will produce the
best results. If printing a combination of
new and worn type, this sort of stock works
best. For binding purposes, make sure the

stock is cut with the grain running the same
direction as the spine of the book; other-
wise it is likely toskew when bound. White,
cream or buff hues show off the print bet-
ter than darker colors.

Binding

Easiest is a standard sheet punched fora
ring binder, but this is expensive unless the
recipients provide covers. Other options in-
clude saddle stitching if a single signature,
hand sewing with a paper or hard cover,

or perfect binding. Consider plastic comb
binding if you have access to the machine.

Style

Try to have a unifying theme tying the
book together, both forappearance and ease
of use. If faces are shown alphabetically no
index is needed. Should this be impracti-
cal, then plan an index. Choose a type face
of which you have a generous amount for

text, and one which is unobtrusive though
legible. Include page numbers both for the
reader and to help avoid imposition errors.

Press Run

Unless you are turned on by presswork
and know lots more serious printers than [|
do, limit your run to undera hundred. Aft-
era year I succeeded in swapping 50 copies
of a 54-page book. One specimen book I
know of (160 pages) was issued in an edition
of 25 copies.

Color of Ink

While this is a matter of personal pref-
erence, keep in mind your book will not be
printed all at once, so pick a ready-mixed
ink instead of creating a new color. It is all
but impossible to duplicate such ink. Try
to keep ink coverage as uniform as possible
to avoid noticeable contrast between facing
pages printed at different times.

How Many Pages ?

The controlling factor here is the total
material illustrated, but keep in mind the
method of binding, thickness of signatures,
and the postal regulation which states that
book rates apply only to a book containing
at least 24 pages.

‘Copyright

It is not necessary to copyright, but asit
is easy, costs only $10, immortalizes you at
the Library of Congress and feeds your ego,
consider it. Apply to the Copyright Office
for the forms.

Distribution

Whatever you do, get the most out of the
book you have just spent so many dozens
of hours on. If sold, make the price right.
A good way to get other specimen books is
to swap. I have traded copies thus, and also
for private press books, type, equipment,
information, cuts and ornaments.

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Colophon

Type faces, in order of appearance, are:
12 and 18 pt. Racine, 8 pt. Racine Circular
and 8 pt. Barnhart Bros. & Spindler Old-
style No. 9.

Pages treadled two up on a 7x11 Gordon
Oldstyle, illustrated on back cover.

Stock is 7olb. Lithofelt suede G Mid Tec,
dull coated. Cover is Offcut green index.

Edition is 200 copies, 151 of which are for
distribution to APA members.

SSD